Revenge Can Hurt
by honeybelle92
Summary: After catching her boyfriend in an inappropriate situation with another girl, Ginny Weasley decides to get back at him with someone far more notorious, yet instantly lovable. Please review. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, although I would like to. **

**Summary: Ginny Weasley has been enjoying her sixth year at Hogwarts greatly. She's going out with Harry, is spending a lot of time with the Head Boy, and has perfected most of her curses on somewhat reluctant participants. However, her relationship with Harry turns sour and she vows to get back at him. Surprisingly, the Head Boy is more than willing to help her out. **

* * *

**Chapter One**

Ginny Weasley gazed up adoringly at her perfect boyfriend, Harry Potter. She was in heaven. Never, in a million years, had she ever thought Harry would go out with her, and yet, here they were, walking to the Great Hall for breakfast, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was about two months into Ginny's sixth year, and she and Harry had been dating since July. She couldn't ask for anything better.

"So Gin," Harry said, breaking into her thoughts. "There's another trip to Hogsmeade this weekend. You, uh, wanna go with me?"

"I dunno." She shrugged nonchalant. "I was thinking about going with this guy from my Transformation class. He's, like, perfect. He's got this really cool tie collection and can fit his entire hand into his mouth. I wanted to ask him to show me how he does that, but I figured that was something more suitable in private."

"Ginny, I-I thought--"

"Harry, of course I'm going with you! I don't even know why you would ask that!"

He smiled. "I'm never completely sure if you're kidding or not."

"Yes, I always manage to keep everyone confused and dazed at the same time. It's a skill that I've been perfecting since I was young and I feel I've mastered it well."

The two entered the Great Hall and walked over to the Gryffindor table. Ginny's eyes drifted over to Draco Malfoy. The sexy Slytherin was seated across the room, staring at a plate of eggs. Draco was the Head Boy that year, a surprise to many. Since Hermione Granger, Ginny's best girlfriend, was Head Girl, Ginny had been spending a lot of time in the Head's dormitory.

Although Draco had issues with Ginny's family, and Ginny thought Draco was a bit of a prick, even after joining the good side in the war, they were able to become friends. Ginny thought of Draco as kind of an older brother. An incredibly hot, sexy older brother who, had she not been dating Harry, she would have jumped instantly.

Draco glanced up from his plate and caught Ginny's eye. He sent over a tentative smile and she returned it easily. She focused her attention back on Harry, who was holding out her chair, ever the gentleman. She settled down effortlessly, a dreamy grin on her face.

Across the room, Draco watched the two intently. Before this year, he had never thought of Ginny as anything other than the quiet younger sister of Ron Weasley. After getting to know her because of all the time she spent with Hermione, he realized he was very wrong. Yes, she was Ron's younger sister but she was far from quiet. She was full of life and tenacity and vigor. She was intelligent and comical and would never be mistaken for having modesty. She danced around the Head's common room wearing only shorts and a tank top, she sang at the top of her lungs whenever it got too quiet in the room, and she could make him laugh so hard he felt the need to rush to the bathroom.

And he loved all these things about her.

Draco was never entirely sure when he fully recognized his feelings for Ginny. Maybe it was when she was braiding Hermione's hair and telling him a story about a magical gnome back at her house who kept stealing the biscuits. Or maybe it was when she commandeered the attention of every person in any room she entered with ease. Or maybe it was when she would just sit in a chair, her legs crossed under her, and listen to whatever you had to say. _Really _listen. The kind of listening where you felt like the only person in the room, even if you were sitting in a class filled with other students. No one had really ever listened to Draco like that before. At first, it was a little unsettling. He instantly thought that she was going to use whatever he told her against him. After figuring out that she really cared, he found how easy it was to tell her his life story. He then realized that most people who met Ginny, even if it was for only a few minutes, did exactly the same thing. He wasn't sure how she was able to do that and she amazed him every time.

Draco hadn't found out about Ginny and Harry dating right away, so he had had a little hope for Ginny and himself. However, all hope was instantly squashed when he saw the two of them making out one day after classes. He hadn't talked to Ginny for about a day after that, not because he was mad at her, but because he was ashamed at himself. He was sure he had acted exactly like a person with a crush, and figured that she knew how he felt. She probably made fun of him with Harry, laughing at his stupidity and naiveté.

Ginny had approached him the next day and asked if anything was wrong. He told her about seeing she and Harry together and when she asked him how that would effect him, he knew he was in the clear. She didn't know how he felt. He made up a stupid excuse about not knowing important things about her, even though he had thought they were close. She smacked him on the arm playfully and told him to stop acting like a girl. From then on he tried very hard to keep his feelings a secret.

He wasn't sure if she would ever consider going out with him but he figured if he got close to her in a platonic way, she might get feelings for him. He knew he was attractive and how most girls swooned around him. Even though Ginny was different than most girls, he decided to try anything and everything. So far, though, he hadn't had any success.

He was hoping that something would come up that would help him. And something just might.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. **

**Chapter Two**

Later that night, Ginny said goodbye to Harry outside the Gryffindor Tower and slowly walked over to the Head's dormitory. She was going to spend the night with Hermione, working on "homework." In truth, they were just going to gossip and play with each other's hair. Ginny liked these nights with Hermione, because she didn't feel obligated to do anything worthwhile.

She also liked spending the time with Draco. She hadn't realized how hilarious he was before this year. She was always cracking up around him; it sometimes got a little embarrassing. Lately, though, Draco had been acting weird around her. He was very shifty and had difficulties looking her in the eye. She was planning on talking to him tonight, whenever Hermione left the two of them alone.

Ginny came upon a portrait of a regal queen from the mid-1800s who was always seated on her throne, wearing a tall crown and a tight dress. Her eyes were fluttering shut but she quickly opened them once she saw Ginny.

"Password?"

"For the fifteenth time, Jezebel, I do not have the password." Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. For whatever reason, Jezebel instantly forgot about Ginny as soon as she left the dormitory. She asked Ginny every time for the password, even though Hermione and Draco were not allowed to give it out, for security reasons. However, Jezebel was allowed to summon Hermione or Draco and have them identify Ginny as a friend, and not an enemy.

Jezebel stood from her throne and turned around. Ginny finally did roll her eyes and crossed her arms. Jezebel stayed in that position for a few moments, obviously talking to Hermione and Draco. She turned around again, sat down on her chair, her hands placed delicately on her lap. The portrait door swung open and Ginny refrain from sneering at Jezebel.

"Hey party people," Ginny said, entering the common room, a smile on her face. Hermione was seated in front of the table, working on homework, and Draco was lounging on one of the couches, tossing a ball into the air.

Hermione muttered something indiscernible, her head bent. Draco raised a hand in acknowledgement, not taking his eyes off the ball. "Wow," Ginny said, collapsing into a chair, "you guys sure know how to have fun."

Ginny looked around at the room. She really did love this place. The common room was twice as large as the Gryffindor common room (which really made no sense, because of the number of people using both common rooms), with a large fireplace the center of attention. All the chairs and couches, upholstered in deep blues and rich purples, were situated around the fireplace, a large mahogany table reachable from every seat. A few feet behind the couches, the floor, covered with navy carpeting that swallowed your feet, raised up a step. Three doors were against the wall: the left door led to Hermione's room, the right door to Draco's, and the middle door the bathroom.

The bedrooms were identical, save for the color scheme. As some kind of joke, Hermione's room was filled with emeralds and silvers of all shades, and Draco's was packed with scarlets and golds. The king sized beds dominated most of the room, and a desk, armoire, and vanity with a large mirror took up the rest of the space. A large window looked out at the campus. This supplied the light in the room, along with a standing lamp in the corner that constantly changed its position, mostly because it got bored during the day.

The bathroom was truly magnificent. A full counter ran the length of one wall, two sinks evenly spaced one single mirror spanning the distance of the counter. Across from the counter was a toilet and a shower with a flawed glass door. The Jacuzzi tub was to the left of the shower and toilet and was big enough for at least eight people. Ginny, of course, had never been able to experience this but she was sure it was big enough.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Ginny asked, lacing her fingers behind her head and leaning back. Hermione and Draco exchanged a glance.

"Homework," she said.

"Sleep," he said.

"Damn, you guys are cool." Ginny sat up. "Draco, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

Draco and Hermione looked at each other again. Ginny had never asked to talk to Draco alone. Hermione knew about Draco's feelings for Ginny and worried about him constantly. Draco was terrified that Ginny was going to call him out on it and elated that she might tell him that she liked him.

"Um, I can go to my room," Hermione said, starting to stand.

"No," Ginny said, getting up. "We can go to his room. I don't want to disturb you."

Ginny walked over to Draco's room. He hesitated for a moment, then followed her in. Draco shut the door softly behind him. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes averted; he was uncomfortable.

Ginny, however, was perfectly at ease. She bounced onto his bed and scooted to the top, sitting up against the pillows. She placed her hands in her lap, breathing in deeply. "This is such an amazing bed," she said, feeling the duvet. "_Much _better than what I have in the Gryffindor dorms. I mean, my bed isn't so horrible, but it's nothing compared to this."

_It's even better with you in it, _Draco thought to himself, a small smirk appearing on his face.

Ginny cocked her head to the side, studying Draco. She was never sure what to think of him.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Draco asked, disturbing Ginny's thoughts.

"Right," she said, mentally shaking her head. She sat up and patted the space in front of her. Draco walked over to the bed and tentatively sat.

"Something's wrong," Ginny said, staring at her hands. "I don't know what, but you've been acting…odd around me, and I can't figure out why."

"I-I…"

She looked up. "Does it have to do with Harry? Do you not like him? Well, more so than normal?"

Draco shook his head. It wasn't _exactly _like that.

"Well then what is it?! I've been racking my brain for the past week and I cannot figure out why you've changed. You don't have a girlfriend, do you?" He shook his head again, quickly. "Then can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know," he said finally, shrugging. "I guess it's just…school and stuff. All the pressure." This was a total lie and Draco felt like a complete git for lying.

Ginny watched him for a few moments, her brow furrowed. "Okay, I'm going to believe you, only because I can't think of any other reason." She glanced at her watch. "I should probably go. I have to finish a Potions assignment. I'll see you at breakfast, okay?"

She stood up and quietly exited the room. Draco scooted up to the space she had just vacated and laid back. He didn't want to lie to her but, until she broke up Harry (_if _she broke up with Harry), Ginny couldn't know his feelings.

Ginny walked down the empty halls of Hogwarts, thinking. She didn't know why Draco would lie to her, but she was almost positive that he had. The only thing she could think of was him not liking Harry. Besides the obvious reasons, she couldn't see any other reason for Draco to not like him.

Some moaning and slurping sounds caught Ginny's attention and she grimaced. It seemed as if Hogwarts had been cursed with a love potion, because everywhere anyone looked, people were making out. It was starting to get a little annoying.

"Oh God, you're so hot," the male said, his voice slightly muffled.

Ginny's ears perked up. She knew that voice. She followed that voice, and the moans, her curiosity and dread rising. She turned the corner and there they were, like a horrible dream. Harry, her boyfriend, her love, her one and only, making out with Lavender Brown.

Ginny heard someone gasp but didn't realize it was her until Harry and Lavender pulled apart. Harry's eyes widened in shock and he reached out to her. Ginny spun on her heel and raced back in the direction she had come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to the books and movies do not belong to me, although I wish they did. **

**Author's Note: Everyone seems to like this story, even though Harry is a bit of a prick. I'm going to try to explain more in depth about Harry's reasons for cheating on Ginny. I just, you know, have to think up a few. Don't forget to review, because reviews put a smile on my face.**

**Chapter Three**

Ginny ran straight to the Head's dormitory, faster than she thought she could. She pounded on the portrait door, ignoring Jezebel's protests, wiping away the tears that had escaped from her eyes. She periodically checked over her shoulder, fearing that Harry had caught up with her. She was _not _in the mood for a confrontation.

Hermione eventually opened the door, her face looking pissed. It changed instantly, though, when she saw Ginny's face.

"Gin, what's wrong--?" Hermione started. Ginny forced her way past the girl and quickly shut the door. She leaned against it and her head fell forward, her eyes shut tight.

Draco had come out of his room a few minutes before Ginny entered and he was watching her now, concerned. He crossed the room quickly and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked, hesitant.

"Of course not!" Ginny cried, storming away. She stomped over to the nearest couch and plopped down, crossing her arms, her head still bent. Hermione and Draco swapped a quick, fleeting look at each other before they cautiously ambled over to Ginny. Hermione settled down next to her and Draco stayed vertical.

"Um, Ginny, I don't want to upset you anymore than you already are," Hermione said warily, "but I think you should tell us what's wrong. We can't help you if we don't know."

Ginny sighed deeply. She lifted her head and looked Hermione in the eye. "I caught Harry making out with Lavender, in the corridor."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. All three heads swiveled in that direction. "It's probably him," Ginny said, her voice laced with fury. "He followed me back."

"I'll take care of this," Draco said, moving towards the door. Hermione brought Ginny's attention back to her and began asking questions, attempting to comfort her.

Draco took a deep breath and pulled open the door. He only opened it partially, though, to keep Ginny hidden. Harry was surprised to see Draco, but he recovered quickly.

"Move," he said, trying to get past Draco. "I need to talk to her."

"You cocky son of a bitch," Draco said, his voice low, menacing. "You seriously think she wants to talk to you?"

"Look, I made a mistake. I just need to talk to her."

"She's not…available to talk. I suggest you leave her alone. For a while."

"I don't have to answer to you. Why the fuck do you even care what she thinks?"

"She's my friend and you hurt her. Therefore, I'm going to make sure she is as comfortable as possible. You being anywhere near her would not make her comfortable."

"I swear to God, if you don't move out of my fucking way--"

"And if you don't leave, I'm going to report you for being out after curfew. You have a game coming up, don't you? Against Hufflepuff? Gonna be kinda hard to win if Gryffindor's Seeker is stuck in detention, won't it?"

Harry glared at Draco for a few beats, figuring out the merits (and consequences) of pulling his wand out on Draco. Finally, he gave a disgusted snort and stormed off. Draco felt a smirk beginning. He was surprised Harry was able to control himself.

Draco turned back to Hermione and Ginny. Ginny seemed to have calmed down a bit and she was explaining exactly what had happened in the hallway.

"I guess I gasped, or something," she was saying, "because they broke apart and he looked at me. I turned around and ran all the way here." She started to stand. "I can leave, if you want. I know this doesn't really follow the rules, and you guys probably had plans…"

"No, stop." Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled Ginny back down. "We were just going to do homework and sleep tonight, remember? It's completely fine if you stay. And if any of the teachers ask, we'll just say…you fell asleep on the couch, and Draco didn't want to carry you back to your room, so we let you sleep." Draco was looking like he wouldn't have minded carrying Ginny back to the room, he might even have enjoyed it, but he tried to conceal these thoughts.

He walked over to Ginny and squatted. "It's cool if you stay, really. It'll be fun. We can paint our toe nails and tell all our secrets."

Ginny's face broke out into a smile and she smacked Draco with a nearby pillow. "You're so weird," she said. He playfully grabbed another pillow and returned fire, though not as hard.

Hermione stood quickly as the pair continued attacking each other. "I'm gonna let you guys play, because I'd rather not have bruises tomorrow. Night!" She scurried over to her room and shut the door quickly.

Draco eventually joined Ginny on the couch, a smile stretched across his face. "Okay, I surrender, I am no match for you and your wonderful pillow fighting skills."

"Thank you," Ginny said, setting down her pillow. "I love it when people admit that I'm better than them. Burst of confidence, and all."

They sat in silence for a few moments, his arm swung around the back of the couch, grazing her shoulders. She was leaning into him and their thighs were touching. Draco was in heaven, but could barely breath. Ginny began playing with the hem of the shirt he was wearing. He thought he was going to pass out.

"I just can't even believe he would cheat on me," she said suddenly. "I mean, what gives him the right to do that to me? What makes him so special that he thinks he can make out with some other girl without any consequences? The least he could have done was break up with me. _That _I could handle. More than this, at least."

"I dunno," Draco said. "Men are crazy and have difficulties thinking with their brain. They mostly use their penis."

"That's so true," she laughed. She looked up at him abruptly. "Do you think with your penis?"

He chuckled softly. "I don't think you want me to answer that. You have such young ears, I don't want to tarnish them so early." She smiled and faced forward again.

"I wish there was something I could do to get back at him, you know? Like, something that would make him cringe and feel the same way I did today."

"Mm-hm," Draco said, not really sure what she was talking about and not caring. He was more interested in the fact that she was practically on top of him and she hadn't gone running out of the room.

"But what could I do? I mean, besides dating someone he hates…" She suddenly sat up and Draco almost let out a groan at the lost. He was _really _enjoying her being near him.

Ginny spun around quickly and faced a startled Draco, her own face lit up. "I could date you! Or, at least, _pretend _to date you. It's perfect! Harry hates you, and if we starting going out, he would just die!"

She stood, pulling Draco along with her. "Don't you think it's a good idea?!" He didn't really have the heart to tell her he wasn't completely sure what she was talking about, because at the same moment, her shirt had shifted a bit and he got a good look at a strip of pale skin between her pants and her top. Instead, he just nodded.

"Great!" Ginny grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He realized what she was doing and quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her scent. He hadn't appreciated how good her hair smelled before that moment. It was like a mixture of strawberries and coconut and--

"Okay, we can start tomorrow." She pulled away and stared up at him, the smile still on her face. "We can go to breakfast together, holding hands, and then, when everyone is watching, we kiss! It will be amazing!"

Ginny gave him one more hug, then flounced off to Hermione's room to tell her their plans. Draco watched her go, the smile still on his face. However, it quickly fell. "Wait, what do you want me to do?!"

* * *

Ginny woke up the next morning, unsure of where she was. The wallpaper was different, and the bed felt much bigger than hers. She rubbed the duvet between her fingers and sighed happily, pleased at how comfortable the bed was. Wait, she realized. This wasn't her bed.

She sat up quickly and glanced around the room. She eventually came to the conclusion that she was in Draco's bed. She giggled at this, worried about how Harry would feel. Wait, Harry wasn't her boyfriend anymore. She fell back against the pillows. She grabbed one and put it against her face, breathing deeply. She sat up again quickly when she realized that she had told Draco she would go out with him. Well, fake go out with him. A lot appeared to have happened the night before.

Ginny swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded out to the common room. Draco was sprawled out on the couch in a tangle of sheets. He was laying on his back, with his arm slung over his head. His large framed dwarfed the couch and filled the room with energy. Ginny smiled. He really was cute. And, if she had any clue that he liked her, she would cheerfully date him, no matter what their families thought.

Draco's eyes fluttered open and he smiled when he saw her. He sat up fully and groaned the entire way. She walked over to the couch and sat next him, a smirk on her face.

He glanced over at her joyful demeanor and rested look. "I can't believe you talked me into letting you sleep in my bed."

"Hey, you were the one who offered."

"Yeah, and you didn't put up much of a fight."

"I was raised to be grateful for the things I am offered. It would be rude to turn you down." Draco reached over and ruffled her hair playfully. Ginny responded by tickling his sides, sending him into a laughing frenzy.

Hermione walked out of her room, completely dressed, her bag slung over her shoulder. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You guys might want to get dressed. Breakfast starts in ten minutes and I figure you don't want to be late."

Ginny and Draco sprung off the couch and walked towards the bedrooms. Ginny spun around. "I don't have anything to wear." She was clad in a pair of Hermione's smaller shorts and a t-shirt of Draco's. Her own clothes were dirty, and, even though she had only worn them once, she didn't want to repeat it. Yesterday had been a _long _day.

"Somehow your clothes got washed last night," Hermione said. "Yeah, their hanging up in the bathroom."

"Maybe Dumbledore sees more than we think," Ginny said, shrugging.

The two went into separate bedrooms and Hermione exited the common room, a smile on her face. Today was going to be interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. Simple as that. **

**Chapter Four**

Draco and Ginny exited the rooms a minute after the other. Ginny looked over at him, smiling. He really did look hot in his uniform. It seemed to mold perfectly to all of his muscles. Ginny was worried she might forgo breakfast and drag him back to Hermione's bed. She quickly crossed the room and grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She glanced up at him, her eyes thoughtful, curious.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You're not going to chicken out on me?" she asked, teasing.

He nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be fun to make Potter squirm."

"Good." Ginny suddenly lifted herself up onto her toes and planted a light kiss on Draco. He was at least a head taller than her and this required a bit of straining on her part.

He opened his eyes wide in shock and his jaw dropped after she pulled away, rocking back onto her heels, a sly smile on her face. She licked her lips and mentally laughed at the reaction this gauged.

"Sorry for surprising you," Ginny said, spinning around and walking to the door, dragging him behind her. "I figure we should get a little practice in, before the big event. Don't want to look like amateurs." The corridors were practically empty.

Draco recovered about halfway to the Great Hall and was able to walk on his own, although it was a little sloppy. "So, um, how exactly do you want to do this?" he asked, his hand still held with hers.

Ginny thought for a moment. "I guess we can just walk into the hall, really close and, like, lovey-dovey. Then, before we go our separate ways, we kiss."

Draco nodded. "That's good. Now, what kind of kiss should this be? Like, the kind we had back in the common room? Or, more tongue?"

"Definitely more tongue. But not like slutty, or anything. We've only been going out for a day and we don't want to blind anyone."

"Good," he said, smiling. They were almost to the Great Hall and both were a little nervous. "Are you sure holding hands is enough? Should we be closer?"

"I guess that makes sense." Ginny grabbed Draco's arm and slung it over her shoulder, then slipped her hand into the left pocket of his pants, farthest from her. He jumped a little at that, but recovered.

"I think this is good," he said, grateful his voice hadn't cracked. Ginny laughed and nestled her head into the crook of his arm. They pushed the doors open together and entered the dining hall.

All conversations came to a stop and several forks clattered onto plates. Ginny and Draco wore matching smirks as they walked farther in then paused. They turned to each other and took a deep breath.

"Here we go," Ginny muttered as Draco leaned forward.

The moment his lips touched hers, Ginny's knees almost buckled. She curled her fingers into his shirt and when his tongue made contact with hers, she felt she almost lost consciousness. They hadn't kissed like _this _in the common room. This was…intense and sexy and something Ginny could definitely get used to.

Draco pulled away after what felt like hours and rested his forehead against Ginny's, a smirk stretching across his granite features. "That went well," he muttered, his voice heavy.

"Uh-huh," Ginny said, mentally checking to make sure she was still wearing her clothes.

Draco lightly pressed his lips against Ginny once more, squeezed her hand, then walked over to his table. Ginny took a deep breath and followed suit, searching for Hermione in all the shocked faces. She was seated near the end, a smirk splashed across her face, her eyes lit with laughter. Ginny scurried over to her friend and quickly sat, trying not to blush.

"Oh my God," Hermione whispered, trying to suppress a giggle. "That was hilarious! Everyone's going to be talking about the two of you for the next, like, three months!"

Ginny smiled. Half of the hall was staring at her and the other half was trying to pretend like they weren't staring at Draco, who was sitting next to Blaise Zabini, completely oblivious to it all, forking tons of food onto his plate. Ginny stole a quick glance at Harry. He was staring at his plate, his face red, his fists clenched. Ron's face came into view. He was definitely staring at her, his face matching his hair, his eyes narrowed with fury. Ginny dropped her gaze and attempt to hold back the need to smile, and failing greatly.

"Ron looks like he's about to burst something," she said to Hermione, her voice low. The brunette quickly glanced down the table then turned back.

"Harry looks pissed," Hermione said, taking a bite of toast. She chewed for a moment, thinking. "How does that make you feel?"

"I don't really know," Ginny said finally. "I mean, I feel kind of bad, because he is my friend and all. Of course, he didn't even break up with me before making out with some other girl. So if I keep thinking about that, I don't feel so horrible anymore."

"Good." Hermione smiled. She took a sip of her juice then spoke. "You guys are broken up, right? He does know that the relationship is over, correct?"

"Well," Ginny said, thinking. "I guess technically not. I mean, he'd have to be an idiot to think I'd want to still date him after what happened last night but we haven't made it official, or anything."

"You might want to do that," Hermione said, looking up. "Because he's walking over here right now."

Ginny looked up in alarm. It was true; Harry was headed to their side of the table, his head down, his eyes fixed on her, his hands balled up at his sides. He stopped in front of Ginny.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, his voice soft.

She glanced quickly at Hermione, who was staring at her breakfast. Ginny sighed, nodded, and stood. They walked out of the Great Hall together, everyone watching them, including Draco. They walked down the empty hallway for a few minutes, neither speaking, Ginny waiting for Harry to explode.

"What the hell was that?!" Harry cried, spinning around so he was facing Ginny, throwing his arms into the air. "What, exactly, were you doing with him?"

At first, Ginny was worried that he was going to hit her, but then she just got infuriated. She decided to mess with him a bit. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize it, Harry. I mean, you were practically doing the same thing with Lavender Brown last night. I thought you had more experience than that."

"At least I had the decency to do it in private! Not in front of the entire school!"

She threw her head back and a bark of laughter escaped. "So that makes it okay? Because you did it 'secretly'? That's so screwed up." She took a step forward and lowered her voice. "I understand you're pissed, but we are broken up, Draco is my boyfriend, and you need to deal with it." She turned on her heel and walked back to the Great Hall. Had she looked back, she would have seen Harry staring at her with his mouth opened wide in astonishment.

The day continued uneventfully after that. The hallways were abuzz with this new development but no one said anything to the pair. Draco had a few classes with Harry and Ron but they generally stayed away from him. He had one class with Ginny, Advanced Potions.

This was a special class that, normally, was only available to seventh years and with the permission of the teacher. Because of this, it was a small class. However, Ginny had scored exceedingly well on her OWLs her fifth year in that area and Professor Snape had no choice but to let her into the class. Ginny was one of two sixth years in that class, the other being Edward Fawcett, a Ravenclaw. He was a bit of a know-it-all, and someone whom Ginny did not enjoy spending time with.

There were only twelve other students in the class, mostly from Ravenclaw, with a few Gryffindors (including Hermione, who seemed to be enjoying everything that had happened the past day way too much) and a few Slytherins thrown in to mix things up a bit. Oddly enough, there were no Hufflepuffs. Rumor was they were too terrified of Snape to even want to be in the class, no matter how beneficial it was when searching for a job after graduation.

Ginny and Draco spent most of this class period making googly eyes at each other in the back of the room because Snape was going over the answers to a test they had recently taking in his monotonous tone of voice that Draco was sure he practiced on, something that bored everyone in the room. Draco knew that Snape wouldn't touch him (in other words, take away points) and he was willing to stand up for Ginny if Snape went after her.

The pair was a little nervous for dinner. They had skipped over lunch, choosing instead to walk around the grounds, laughing at all the reactions to their kiss and discussing new ideas for the plan. Nonetheless, they felt they were obligated to do something even better at dinner but they were at a lost for what.

About halfway to the Great Hall for dinner, Ginny came up with an idea. She quickly explained her plan to Draco, who was very excited and a little curious about how it would all turn out.

They entered the Great Hall wound together just as tightly as they had been that morning. The entire hall pretended to not notice them but was clearly watching to see what they would do. As opposed to that morning, Ginny continued with Draco to the Slytherin table. Jaws dropped, gasps resounded from every corner, and several people allowed a giggle or two to slip out.

The Slytherin table wasn't completely full, so it was easy for Ginny and Draco to find seats next to each other that were relatively isolated. A number of Slytherins attempted to slide farther away from the two, as if to say they didn't want to be anywhere near Ginny, but Draco shot them an intense death glare and they all meekly returned to their places.

Ginny could feel almost all of the Gryffindor's eyes on her, some in distaste, some with laughter at this display. Everyone knew what her brothers were like and probably hadn't expected anything less. Most of the Weasleys were good at stirring things up a bit, in the most outrageous ways. Ginny made an effort at keeping her gaze down, shifting her hair in front of her face, her eyes on her plate. Draco appeared ignorant as he prattled on about their plans for the weekend. Fake plans, that is.

Ginny shifted her gaze over to Draco. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, her voice so quiet he had to lean in. "Maybe we're taking this too far. I wanted to make Harry jealous, not turn my entire house against me."

Draco glanced over at the Gryffindor table. "Sorry to tell you this, honey, but I don't think your house is against you. They all know about what Harry did and are upset at him. You're, like, their princess and if anyone hurts you, they'll protect you. It's kind of weird, actually, that extreme loyalty. Plus, I think most of them feel you had some serious balls to go out with me. It's not everyday our kind mixes."

She smacked him playfully on the arm. "God, you make us sound like plants or something."

He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his face. He pressed a gentle kiss on her fingertips, lingering a moment longer than Ginny felt comfortable with. She was getting all sorts of feelings whenever she was around Draco, feelings that weren't entirely decent.

Before they started this fake dating thing, she had thought about him in that way all the time; she'd have to be dead not to think about him like that. The difference was she had a boyfriend and was perfectly fine just thinking. Now, she was free and clear and was unsure if she could keep her boundaries up for long.

She couldn't figure out why she didn't like the idea of really being with Draco. Maybe she was just afraid. Afraid he'd hurt her like Harry, or wouldn't be pleased with the things she did. They were friends first and she knew personally how delicate that situation was, especially if you were dating. The barrier around the friendship was easily breakable if you weren't careful. She didn't want that to happen.

Ginny pulled her hand away from him sharply, as if she'd been burned. She stood up hastily, almost tripping over the bench. "I, I have to go," she said, grabbing her bag, not looking him in the eye. "I'll talk to you later." She rushed out of the Great Hall, all eyes on her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter--Sadly Not Mine**

**Author's Note: I'm a little unsure about how I'm going to stretch this story out. I've already got a pretty good twist for the end but I need to think of a few more twists or else the story will be really short. Please give me some ideas or else I will have to end the story sooner than normal and I know you don't want that. In other words, GIVE ME IDEAS!!**

**Chapter Five**

Draco wasn't sure if he should follow after Ginny or not. The hall seemed to be watching him, waiting to see what he decided to do. Finally, he sighed and stood up. He strode across the room quickly and exited the dining hall.

Ginny hadn't been walking that fast so he was able to catch up to her quickly. He was not sure how to approach her without upsetting her anymore so he just joined her. They walked in silence for about five minutes, not really seeming like they were headed in any specific direction. Draco was starting to think that she was really pissed at him because of her silence when she spoke.

"I'm sorry for running out on you," she said, not looking in his direction. "It probably didn't help much with our plan. We'll have to do something better tomorrow."

"Don't give me that bullshit," Draco said, his tone annoyed. "You ran out of there for some reason and I want you to tell me why, or else we won't be able to continue this. Besides, I'm your friend and I deserve to be treated with respect."

Ginny was shocked at his outburst. He had never spoken to her like that before and it was unsettling. "I-I just freaked. Everybody watching, and you smelling…perfect. I dunno, I just…"

Draco grabbed Ginny's arms and pushed her against the wall. He leaned into her, hip to hip, his palms flat on either side of her head. Her breath caught in her throat and she tried to tear her eyes away from his gaze, failing miserably. He put one hand behind her neck, holding her head up. His knee slipped between her legs and she got dizzy and lightheaded.

He lowered his voice. "Now, can you please tell me why you left the Great Hall?"

Ginny's response came out breathy. "If I wasn't able to answer you before, how the hell do you expect me to do it now? We're practically having sex."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Do you want to have sex?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "You're such a prick."

The corners of his mouth tipped up. "I try. So, are you gonna tell me what the fuck's wrong?"

Ginny thought for a moment, her head cocked away from Draco's. Eventually, she shook her head. "Nope."

Draco's smile became full-on. "Wiseass."

"I try."

They stayed in the same position for a few more minutes before Draco spoke again. "Do you want to go back to dinner?" Ginny shook her head no. "Okay."

He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, then led her back to his common room.

* * *

The next week passed pretty quickly. Ginny didn't tell Draco what really made her rush out of the Great Hall, and he didn't ask. It seemed as if the whole situation had been put on the back burner. For now.

Ginny tried really hard not to let her feelings for Draco effect how she acted around him. She could barely even admit that she did have feelings for him. She told herself the reason she couldn't admit these feelings was because she had just broken up with Harry, and that Draco probably only had platonic feelings for her, and that anything more than just friends between them would screw up their relationship together. She didn't notice how hard Draco was struggling. He wanted to actually date her more than anything but didn't think she would want to. He assumed her reactions towards him and the ways he flirted with her were just for show.

Hermione watched all of this from the sidelines, amused and concerned. It was blatantly obvious they both liked each other, mostly because of their constant flirting behind closed doors. They would just say they were trying to make their relationship look real for the rest of Hogwarts but Hermione knew better.

Hermione had promised herself from the beginning that she would not get involved in their little scheme, because not only was it slightly mean towards Harry, but she also didn't want to stop them from getting together for real. However, she was starting to think it would be a good idea to stick her nose in, because they were both completely ignorant to the hormones that followed them around like a lost puppy.

The rest of the school was having difficulties bouncing back after the announcement. Ron was talking to Hermione again but he ignored Ginny. Ginny seemed to be getting some kind of sick enjoyment from his discontentment and didn't let it faze her. Harry, however, hadn't spoken to Ginny or Hermione, more from embarrassment than anger. He spent most of his free time in his dormitory and kept his head down during classes and in the Great Hall. Ginny could feel her determination to hurt him start to break down and Hermione was beginning to feel sorry for him.

Saturday afternoon found Hermione in the library, working on an essay. It was raining outside, so a lot of students were in the library as well, working on homework they had let pile up since the start of the year. Hermione wasn't alone at her table; three second years and two fifth years were also seated around the circular table. Because of this, she didn't notice that someone had sat next to her until he cleared his throat.

Looking up, Hermione was face to face with Harry. She was shocked and a little worried. He was staring at the table, fiddling with his shirt. She put down her quill and turned to him completely.

"Hey Harry," she said, her voice quiet, unsure. "Did you need something?"

He lifted his face and she could really see what Ginny and Draco "dating" had done to him. His eyes were hooded, his cheeks sallow, his hair mussed. He was much paler than usual and his eyes looked tired.

"I'm not trying to be mean," she said, "but you look like crap." This prompted a small smile from Harry, although it did not reach his eyes.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly, like he hadn't used it properly in a while. "In private?"

Hermione nodded and began placing her things into her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and followed him deeper into the library.

He stopped in an area that had a few extra tables scattered about, surrounded by a bunch of bookshelves, but was completely devoid of any other person. Apparently, not a lot of students spent time investigating the rest of the library.

Harry and Hermione sat next to each other at one of the tables. Hermione angled her chair so it was facing Harry and waited for him to begin talking.

"I know you think I'm a jerk," he said after waiting a few beats.

"Harry, I don't--"

He held up a hand to silence her, his gaze down, tired. "It's true. I'm an absolute asshole. I deserve whatever Ginny decides to dish out at me." He looked up quickly, his eyes remorseful. "But you have to understand something. I had this great thing going with Ginny and I was getting nervous. I was sure that she was going to bail at any point. I'm not very good at this dating thing, and I felt like she wasn't happy.

"I thought I was getting clingy. I thought she was getting tired of me. Like she would move on. I wanted to do everything perfectly for her. I, I love her."

"Then why did you cheat on her? Why didn't you talk to her about how you were feeling? You know she would have tried to help you."

"I know, I know. I was a complete idiot about the whole thing. I began getting paranoid. You know, thinking that other guys were flirting with her, eyeing her like she was a piece of meat. I have no idea what was wrong with me. I was possessed. I tried to be more protective but she barely even noticed. Had I not been acting so crazy I would have realized that she really did care about me and that she really did like me. I just couldn't see that. I thought she was dating me because that was what she was suppose to do. I was a wreck.

"And she didn't even notice the way I was acting! She just went about her day, kissing me, and talking to me, and being near me. Like she was enjoying it all! I figured she was screwing with me. Seeing how far she could take me before I completely fell over the edge. I didn't know what to do.

"The night of the…incident, I was walking to the Head's common room. I was going to try to talk to Ginny and tell her what I was feeling. I had found an old bottle of firewhiskey in the floorboards my dorm, so I wasn't completely sober when I left. Lavender was walking in the opposite direction and she saw how upset I was. I can't really remember any details but the next thing I know I've got her pushed against the wall and I'm…kissing her, my hands everywhere. Of course, Ginny rounds the corner and sees us and runs off. Lavender was trying to get me to kiss her again but I managed to get away. I assumed Ginny had gone to your room, and when _he _answered the door, I got so pissed. A little fuzzy on how that made me so upset. I probably would have tried to punch him, had I been able to feel my hands.

"I went back to my dorm and fell asleep instantly. When I woke up the next morning I had a major hangover and Ginny was dating him, as if I didn't exist. I know I deserved it, but it still hurt. And, to make things worse, Lavender thought she was dating me. I let her down as politely as possible but I could hear her muttering '_bastard' _as she walked away. She still won't look at me."

Hermione sat in silence. She hadn't been expecting that. She had thought Ginny and Harry had had a good relationship and it was impossible to tell that he was upset in any way. It was a shock.

"I wanted at least you to know that I didn't mean to cheat on her," he said. "I'm not trying to make excuses. I'm taking whatever punishment comes my way, from whoever wants to give it to me. I don't want to stop being friends with you and I hope you can at least grant me that much."

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. "I'm going to need to talk to Ginny. She needs to know you're side of the story."

"No." He shook his head. "You can't tell her that we talked. I want her to be happy and she shouldn't have to deal with all this. She should be putting all of her energy into her relationship with him."

"It's going to be kind of hard to explain why I'm hanging out with you all of a sudden."

"That's not necessary. I wasn't expecting to get a friend back so soon. I just want you to know why I acted the way I did. Someday we'll be able to go back to normal."

"Harry, I can't let you do that. You need a friend, especially now. Besides, I want to be your friend. I _like _being your friend. I'll tell Ginny I couldn't stay mad at you. I'll convince her that you need somebody in your life who doesn't hate you."

Harry smiled, although it was small. "Thank you, Hermione. I knew it was a good idea I hung out with you." He stood and pulled her into a hug. "I suppose I should let you get back to your work."

Hermione began walking away then turned around. "Maybe I'll sit next to you during dinner," she said, a sly grin on her face. "Confuse people a bit."

Harry's smile widened and he watched her walk away. He waited a few minutes then left the library.

And promptly ran into Ginny and Draco.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Author's Note: I am so, so, so sorry that I have left you guys hanging. These past months have been crazy and I haven't really found time to write. However, I like this chapter and I hope you forgive me. Please give me more ideas! **

**Chapter Six**

At the same time that Harry was spilling his guts to Hermione, Ginny and Draco were walking down the hallway, his arm slung around her, her head nestled against him, a small paper bag clutched in her hand. Lunch had ended and, since Hermione hadn't been at lunch, Draco and Ginny were planning on bringing her some food. They assumed she would be in the library and that was where they were headed.

They rounded the corner, chatting as if they had never hated each other. It was an amazing thing, and both students couldn't believe it was even possible. Suddenly, Harry was standing in front of them. All three were shocked into silence. Harry's eyes raced over the two of them, noting how close they were standing and the bag Ginny was carrying.

"Um," Ginny said, at a loss for words.

Harry simply nodded at them and quickly stepped out of their way. Ginny and Draco continued to the library, both silent.

They found Hermione quickly and sat down next to her. "We brought you some food," Ginny said, tossing her the bag.

"Thanks," Hermione said, looking inside the bag. "Um, Ginny, can I talk to you alone for a second?"

"Sure." She gave Draco a quick kiss and she and Hermione walked farther into the library together.

"So what's up?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I just talked to Harry. He's a mess. He apologized and said he never meant to hurt you. I think he really needs a friend right now."

"If he never meant to hurt me than why did he cheat on me?"

Hermione really wanted to tell the truth but she was afraid her betrayal would make Harry shut down completely. "I don't know. But I can tell he is really hurting. I don't expect you to forgive him but I just wanted to let you know that I am going to start talking to him again. Maybe I can figure out why he cheated on you to begin with."

Ginny didn't say anything. She figured she should probably get mad, because that would be what Hermione would expect, but she felt bad for Harry.

"I don't mind if you talk to Harry," she said finally. "I can't control what you do and you were, technically, friends with him before me. Just…tell him I'm not…completely mad. I've…calmed down."

Hermione nodded. "He is really going to appreciate it." She pulled Ginny into a hug and the two friends walked back to Draco.

Ginny and Draco left Hermione to her work and headed back to the common room. Ginny had some homework she needed to finish and Draco was in the middle of a book that he could barely put down.

The two were quiet in the room for the first ten minutes or so. Draco kept glancing at Ginny and, whenever she looked up, he quickly averted his eyes. Ginny just thought he was on crack and barely noticed it.

Draco really wanted to know what she and Hermione had talked about. For whatever reason, he was thinking that it was something about him. He had no idea if it was good or bad but was dying to ask her. However, he was worried she would either not tell him or get mad that he would want to know something like that that was suppose to be private.

When Ginny looked up for the eighth time and Draco turned away from her gaze, she through down her quill in frustration. "What the hell is your problem?"

Draco looked up innocently. "What?"

"You've been staring at me like I have some kind of disease or something. What is it?"

Draco sighed. "The only thing is, if I ask you this, it makes me seem really paranoid and self-absorbed and immature. And I really don't want you to think I am any of those things."

Ginny thought for a moment. "If I say that I already thing you are paranoid and self-absorbed and immature, will you tell me?"

The corner of Draco's mouth curved up. Ginny felt her insides melt. That crooked grin of his had been killing her for weeks and she wasn't sure how long she could stay composed if he was going to keep looking at her like that.

"What, um, what were you and Hermione…talking about?"

A laugh burst out of Ginny before she could suppress. "Is that it?"

"I think that's a pretty loaded question," he said defensively. "I have myself convinced it was about me, and I can't stop thinking about it."

She smiled. "We weren't talking about you. We were talking about, uh, women problems."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Hermione is almost out of…the stuff women use monthly, and she was wondering where I get mine."

"Really? Ew."

Her smile widened. "See? You have no reason to be paranoid or worried or anything."

"I guess so," he said, going back to his book.

Ginny tried to concentrate on her homework but she was pissed at herself. She couldn't believe she had lied to him. She just couldn't get herself to tell him about Harry. She was sure if she told Draco she wasn't that upset about it he wouldn't be either. Something was stopping her though.

Maybe she was unsure if she was upset with Harry still. It was understandable, after what he had done to her. She deserved to be mad for the next three years. However, she didn't really feel mad. She felt…confused, and hesitant about what to do next. She was happy that Hermione was going to talk to Harry. She knew he needed a friend and Hermione would be able to help him get through everything.

Ginny looked up at Draco. He was staring intently at his book, his eyes running down the page as he consumed all the words, quite quickly, she was surprised to note. His concentration never broke as he slid over to the next page and he flipped the pages smoothly, not looking up once. He brought his hand up to his chin and rubbed thoughtfully as he took in the words on the page. Suddenly, he looked her right in the eyes. Ginny jumped a bit and her eyes shot down to her papers. She heard him chuckle from his seat and shut his book.

He stood and crossed the room. He was at her side before she even realized it. He pulled her away from her homework and led her over to the couch. He sat first and pulled her next to him, curling around her and holding her close. Ginny had stopped breathing when he got to her side and, once they were situated on the couch, tried to regain her breath. However, she was so close that the first thing that entered her nose was his scent. And it was the greatest thing in the world. Her pulse quickened and her face burned.

"You know," he said, pressing his lips against her forehead. "We fit together extremely well."

Ginny murmured in response. She knew that they were just pretending but she was having a lot of difficulties keeping her feelings about Draco in check. She wanted to believe he felt the same way about her but deep down she knew it couldn't be true. They were from two different places and had lived two different lives.

Even if they fit together well, that didn't mean that they were destined to be together. And Ginny didn't know if she should spend her time with someone that couldn't feel the same way about her. Or someone who wasn't made for her. She wanted to be with someone she could spend the rest of her life with. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fully believe that Draco was that person.

When she first started dating Harry, she had thought that he was that person for her. However, that proved to be wrong. Totally and completely wrong. She had thought, in the beginning of this new "relationship" that Draco could possibly be that person. However, based on past precedent, she wasn't sure if her gut, or instinct, or whatever compelled her to feel that way about Harry and Draco, could be trusted. It hadn't helped her any when Harry was cheating on her, and maybe it wouldn't help her when Draco started to show his true colors.

However, she found it hard to believe that Draco was hiding anything from her. She had a feeling that the person that she saw everyday, that she spent the majority of her time with, was who he really was. And she also had a feeling that she was one of the few people that he showed this true person to. She knew what Draco had been like before they started dating: he had closed himself off and hadn't had anyone to really talk to. And Ginny knew that she was that person for him.

He was also that person for her. Yes, she was able to talk to Hermione about almost anything; however, some things she felt embarrassed talking to Hermione about, because of how mature and advanced she was. With Draco, though, she felt no qualms or doubts about baring her heart. She could talk to him about anything. She had never hesitated about bringing up a topic. All the walls were down between them, and she didn't have many other people she could truly be herself with.

Ginny knew all of this, and she knew that all of it was true. The only thing was she couldn't believe that she and Draco were meant for each other. And she wanted that. She really wanted that. She wanted someone to sweep her off her feet and make everything okay. She knew that it was an almost impossible dream but that didn't stop her from wanting it. That was the only thing she couldn't talk to Draco, or anyone else for that matter, about. She felt embarrassed because of how immature of a thought it was. She wanted to believe that it was possible to be with someone who didn't "save" her, who just loved her for her.

But she liked the other way better. She liked feeling protected and loved and cared for. It wasn't a side she showed much and didn't even like thinking about it. She knew, though, that if she didn't talk to someone about it, she was going to explode.

Ginny sprung up suddenly. "I have to go," she said, rushing over to the door.

"Wait," Draco said, standing up. "Are you…are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need…I just need to go…take care of some stuff." She rushed over to him, grabbed his head, and pulled him into a kiss. "I'll…I'll see you later," she said, walking back to the door. She shut it behind her, leaving Draco confused and worried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: I want to thank all of my reviewers, you guys are amazing. I'm not sure how obvious it is to everyone else, but this story is going to be pretty short, because I really don't think there is much more I can do with it than what I already have planned. I'm aiming for ten chapters (because it's such a nice number) and will only go farther if I get really good ideas. I'm not saying that if you don't give me ideas I'll cut the story, I'm just saying that I don't think it will be able to last very long. If I hit eleven chapters I'll probably pass out in shock. On a happier note, I'm very pumped to start a new Harry Potter story, once this one is complete, so you will have more of my amazing writing. Keep reading and reviewing!**

**Chapter Seven**

Ginny walked down the corridor, her arms wrapped around her. She couldn't believe she had just walked out on Draco. She had never really considered herself one to run from her problems; however, she had been doing a lot of that since the beginning of the year. She didn't like doing it and she didn't like how it made her feel.

She had always considered herself a confident person yet she had been questioning all of her actions. She didn't really want to admit it, but she had a feeling that Harry cheating on her had made her less secure in herself and the things she did. She wasn't sure what to do to make her feel better about herself.

Back in the common room, Draco was sitting on the couch, completely confused. He was never sure how Ginny was feeling or what she was thinking or what she really wanted to say. He was worried that she was regretting dating him, even if it wasn't technically for real. He was just going to try harder to keep her happy.

The portrait door swung open and Hermione entered the common room. She smiled when she saw Draco and walked over to her room to put her things away. She came out after a few moments and sat next to Draco.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked, looking around the common room.

"She left," he said. He must have sounded really depressed because Hermione's face creased with concern.

"What do you mean, she left? Did she…did she say why?"

"I don't know. I never know with her. I just…I like her so much, and I try to do the right thing, but I feel like she is holding something back, and it makes me worried that it is about me."

Hermione had a feeling that, if this situation was left unresolved, it could lead to the same outcome that Ginny and Harry had. "Why don't you talk to her about it?"

"Because I feel so stupid. And I'm worried she will get mad if I say anything. Or she'll shut down and not want to be around me anymore. And I don't think I could handle that. I _know _I couldn't handle that. It would kill me."

Hermione put her hand on his shoulder. "I understand your hesitation. Really, I do. But I think it would be better, a thousand times better, if you were to talk to her about all this. I know Ginny, and I know that she would appreciate you saying something."

"Are you sure? I really don't want to screw this up."

She sighed. "Why don't I talk to her first? Just see if anything really is bothering her. And then, once she's been primed, so to speak, you can talk to her. Okay?"

Draco nodded. "Thanks. You are a really good friend. Even though you're a Gryffindor."

Hermione smiled. "And you aren't that hideous. Even though you're a Slytherin."

Hermione still had a bunch of homework to finish, so she planned on talking to Ginny during dinner. However, when Hermione entered the Great Hall, a few minutes late, she was surprised to see that Ginny was not at their regular seat. A quick scan of the entire room revealed that Ginny was not there entirely. Hermione glanced over at Draco, who was staring intently at his food and hadn't even appeared to notice that he was in the Great Hall. She figured it was no use asking him where Ginny was, so she went to search for the girl alone.

After checking all the places Ginny was normally found (Gryffindor common room, library, head common room, Prefect bathroom), and coming up empty, Hermione instead just walked around the school, hoping that she would happen upon the younger girl. When that proved fruitless, Hermione was at a loss. This was one of the few times she disliked the fact that Hogwarts didn't allow for electronics; it would be so much easier to find Ginny if she could just call her on her cell phone.

Dinner let out while Hermione was meandering through the corridors. She asked a few people if they had seen Ginny but everyone responded in the negative. Hermione was beginning to get worried. She knew Hogwarts was a safe place but it just wasn't like Ginny to completely disappear. Something must really be wrong.

After almost two hours of unproductive exploring, Hermione headed back to her common room. She hoped Ginny would show up the next day.

When Hermione entered the common room, she was completely shocked to see Ginny lounging on one of the couches, flipping through a magazine.

"Gin. W-what are you doing here?"

Ginny looked up. "Draco let me in about fifteen minutes ago. He said you wanted to talk to me, so he let me wait for you. He's in the library, or terrorizing a first year, I wasn't really paying attention to what he said his plans were."

Hermione crossed the room quickly and sat down next to the girl. "I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been? Why weren't you at dinner?"

Ginny put down the magazine and sat up fully. "I wasn't that hungry. I had some…stuff to think about, so I walked around the entire campus, like, three times. Why were you looking for me?"

"I needed to talk to you about some things. Why were you walking around alone? It's dark out; something could have happened to you."

Ginny chuckled once. "I had my wand. Besides, I wasn't alone. A bunch of other students were walking around. A lot of people were making out. I was fine. What did you need to talk to me about?"

Hermione sighed. She knew that she was overreacting about Ginny completely disappearing. Ginny was a strong witch and would be able to defend herself in any situation. However, Hermione had still been worried about the girl. She tried to clear her head of all maternal thoughts and get to the situation at hand.

"How do you feel about Draco?" she asked bluntly. It really wouldn't be beneficial to beat around the bush; shrewdness wasn't going to solve anything.

Ginny's cheeks turned pink. "W-what do y-you mean?"

"Do you like him?"

Ginny dropped her eyes. "I-I don't know. I mean, I-I think I _want _to, I'm just not sure if I do."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that crap. I want a straight answer."

Ginny sighed. "Y-yes. I-I like him."

"I knew it!" Hermione cried, throwing her hands in the air.

"I'm so happy for you," Ginny said sarcastically, "but it's not like I can do anything about it. He doesn't like me."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know," she said, getting frustrated. "I-I can just tell. He's only doing this to get at Harry, and because we are friends. There is nothing else to it."

Hermione paused. "I have it on good authority," she said after a moment, "that he is completely and totally in love with you, and will probably throw himself off a roof if you don't return his feelings."

"What are you talking about? H-he doesn't like me."

"He likes you a lot," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows. "And I am sick and tired of watching you two dance around each other because of all this uncertainty. It's starting to get annoying."

"Did he…did he tell you he likes me? You heard it straight from his mouth?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes. I heard it straight from him."

"Well…what am I suppose to do about it? I mean, do I tell him I like him? Or…what?"

"We'll deal with that later," Hermione said, flicking her hand nonchalantly. "I've been trying to determine how I feel about him. I've…I've only…felt this way before about…Harry, and I don't want the same thing to happen with Draco. And I keep telling myself that it's not going to happen, but then I'll start comparing the two relationships and will find similarities that probably don't even exist, and then I will freak out and run out of the room. It's starting to get embarrassing."

"Then talk to him about it. He's freaking out because he thinks he is making you unhappy, or something."

"I feel like such an idiot telling him those things, though. If we were just friends, I would do it in a heartbeat. But since I actually like him, it's completely different. I don't want him to think any less of me."

"The only way that boy could think any less of you, Gin, is if you were to kill someone. And, honestly, I could see him helping you hide the body. He is so enamored with you, it's kind of disgusting."

"Aw, Hermione, who knew you were such a romantic?" Ginny said sarcastically, smiling slyly.

"Whatever," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "All I know is if you two don't get together, for real, I may have to kill both of you. And who is going to help me hide the bodies?"

"I'm sure you can find someone." Ginny glanced at her watch. It was getting late and she should probably start heading back to her dorm. "Is there a particular time Draco usually comes back to the room?"

"Not really," Hermione admitted. "We don't have to patrol tonight, we talked some Prefects into patrolling on some of our nights, and since Heads don't have a curfew, he could come back at any time tonight."

"Okay," Ginny said. "I guess I'll just talk to him tomorrow during breakfast." She stood. "Can you not say anything to him tonight? I do better bearing my soul if I'm the only one talking."

Hermione smiled. "Sure," she said, also standing. She pulled Ginny into a quick hug and watched the girl walk out of the room. She turned around and walked over to her room, preparing to get ready for bed. Of course, she had no idea about the events that were about to occur the next day.

**I'm pretty excited about writing the next chapter so it should be out pretty soon. Reviews are welcomed and make me smile. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.**

**Author's Note: "**_**I'm pretty excited about writing the next chapter so it should be out pretty soon.**_**" SUCH a lie. I'm sorry this has taken so long to get out, but I've had a lot of other stuff going on. Once I get out of school, I'll be writing a lot more, I promise. **

**Chapter Eight**

Draco entered the common room about an hour after Ginny had left. He had been walking around the grounds, thinking about life and all the problems that came along with it. Hermione was laying upside down on the couch, a book in front of her face, her long hair pooling under her head. She glanced up at the sound of Draco entering the room.

"Hey," she said, closing her book and swinging upright. "Where have you been?"

"Walking around," he said, sitting down next to her. "Did you talk to Ginny?"

"Yup," Hermione said.

"Well?" Draco asked after she paused, raising his eyebrows. "What did she say?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because she wants to do it herself. And had you come back earlier, you could have talked to her yourself."

"So…when does she want to talk to me?"

"Probably tomorrow."

"So…I should just go to bed and wait for daylight?"

"Brilliant."

And on that cheerful note, Draco retreated to his bedroom. He spread out on his bed, flexing his fingers and toes. He heard Hermione puttering around in the common room but, after about ten minutes, she, too, withdrew back to her room. She spent about fifteen minutes in the bathroom, doing whatever it is that girls tend to do in the bathroom (worshipping the devil, painting their nails), and then all was silent. Draco assumed she had gone to sleep or had left their dorm. Either way, he was now alone with his thoughts.

Hermione hadn't looked worried or upset when she was telling him that Ginny had wanted to talk to him. This gave Draco hope. He and Hermione were very close, and he was pretty sure that, if Ginny was planning on breaking his heart, she would have given something away.

He really hoped she wasn't going to break his heart. He didn't think he could handle it. She was one of the few people that he was completely at ease around. He had let himself be vulnerable around her; she had fought through all his armor to find the scared little boy inside, and she had turned that scared little boy into a true man. No one had ever cared about him like she did. He hadn't care about anyone else in the way that he cared about her.

He had never felt this way about another girl. Before Ginny, all the other girls he dated had just been filler, something to occupy his time until he found the person he could truly love. Granted, he didn't know about this when he was dating the other girls, but it explained why none of his relationships before Ginny had lasted more than two weeks. At the time, he just thought it meant that he was not a monogamous person; however, since dating Ginny, he couldn't imagine himself with any other girl. She was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She could make him happy and laugh and knew all his secrets and loved him nonetheless.

The only problem was that he worried how she truly felt about him. He usually thought that she cared about him as much as he cared about her; however, occasionally, she would do something that made him think that she was just biding her time until something better caught her attention and pulled her away from him. If that were to happen, Draco didn't know if he would be able to go on.

He fell asleep soon after that, thoughts of Ginny running away with another guy passing through his mind. He woke up the next morning feeling like shit. He was totally prepared to just crawl back under the covers and sleep the day away, but Hermione wouldn't let him.

"C'mon," she said, trying to pull the covers off of him. "We are gunna be late for class."

"Then just go," he said, his voice muffled. "And let me stay here with my pathetic thoughts."

Hermione smiled. "Ginny won't be able to tell you how she feels if she can't find you. If you stay in bed, she can't get to you, and then you will forever be wondering if she really likes you."

"You could just tell me," Draco said, not coming out. "And if she doesn't like me, then I can just stay here forever."

"And if she does?"

"Then I will meekly crawl out of bed, hunt her down, and have my way with her."

"Such a romantic," she said.

"Can't you give me a hint?"

"I promised her I wouldn't say anything. Besides, I think this moment will be so much more romantic if she tells you herself."

Draco shot upright, shocking Hermione back a few steps. He looked at her, a smile huge on his face. "If the moment will be more romantic if she tells me, then that must mean that she likes me? Right?"

Hermione glanced down, trying to concealing the smirk that wanted to slide across her face. "I can't say anything. Just get dressed and go find her for yourself. Let her tell you how she feels."

Draco shot out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Normally, he spent about half an hour in the morning getting ready. Today, however, he was out of the dorm about ten minutes later. His shirt was on backwards, his tie wasn't tied, and his hair was still wet from his shower, but he didn't let that stop him. He made it about halfway down the first corridor, then retraced his steps back to the common room, where Hermione was holding out his bag. He grabbed it from her, shouted a thanks over his shoulder, and raced down the hall. Hermione tried to suppress her laughter and followed him out of the room.

Since there was still about twenty minutes left of breakfast, Draco headed towards the Great Hall. He planned on grabbing Ginny, pulling her out into the hallway, and getting her to say the words that would make his heart either burst or break. He was hoping for the former.

A quick but thorough scan of the Great Hall revealed that Ginny was not at breakfast. Puzzled, and slightly worried, Draco headed in the direction of the library. If he couldn't find her there, he was going to force Hermione to check the Gryffindor Tower and all the girls' lavatories.

The library was mostly empty, because everyone was at breakfast. A few first years were sitting at a table, their heads bent in concentration, but no Ginny. He was about to turn around when he heard voices coming from deeper in the library.

He knew that it was a long shot that it was going to be her, but he headed in that direction anyways. The voices got louder but he was still unable to make out what they were saying.

He rounded the corner, and the sight in front of him made his heart drop to his stomach. Ginny had her arms around Harry, and she was…_kissing him! _


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.**

**Chapter Nine**

About half an hour before Draco woke up feeling like shit, Ginny was creepy down the stairs of the Gryffindor Tower to the common room, trying not to wake up the rest of the students. She had glanced into the boys' dorm, but was surprised to see Harry's bed empty and made. She had wanted to talk to him before the rest of the school woke up.

Harry wasn't in the common room either. Ginny sat down on one of the couches, feeling deflated. She wasn't sure where else to look for Harry. He could be anywhere.

Suddenly, she sat up straight. She remembered overhearing Harry telling Ron about getting up early that morning and finishing some homework. She shot out of the room and practically ran to the library.

Ginny never really ventured into the library before the sun was up. The library was kind of eerie this early, and cold as fuck. She wrapped her arms around her chest, pissed that she had convinced herself that it wasn't necessary to change out of her shorts and tank top.

Not only was the library eerie, but it was empty. Ginny sighed then turned around, preparing to head back to the dorm and wait for Harry in the common room.

A sound coming from the library caused her to pause. It sounded like a quill scratching on parchment. Ginny turned back around and, keeping her steps light so she could hear the noise, followed it deeper into the library.

Harry was sitting at a table, alone, bent over, writing on a piece of parchment. Ginny cleared her throat. Harry's head shot up and Ginny's heart broke a little. She really had loved Harry. It still hurt whenever she thought about their breakup. She sometimes wished that things could go back to normal again. Of course, if they did, she wouldn't have Draco.

"Hi," she said tentatively, sitting down across from him. He didn't respond, his eyes darting around anxiously, like he was getting ready to bolt. "I wanted to talk to you."

His eyes finally settled on her. "About what?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"Harry, you hurt me when you cheated on me. I hated you then. I hated you so much that I thought that pretending to date your worst enemy would be the perfect revenge." His eyes widened when he heard that the dating had been fake but she continued. "However, through the course of trying to hurt you as badly as you had hurt me, something happened. I began to truly fall for Draco. And now, I can honestly say, that I love him."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I also realized that I don't want to hurt you anymore. I can't do that to you. You were my best friend for so long, and my first love. You just don't give up something like that. I don't want our friendship to end. I've been feeling incomplete, and it's because you haven't been in my life. I want you back in my life. I need you back in my life."

Harry stared deep into her eyes, as if he were looking at her soul. It was something Ginny had gotten used to when they were dating, but it gave her chills now. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Yes. I know that I would regret it if I didn't do it."

A smile spread across Harry's face. It was the first time Ginny had seen him smile in a really long time, and it made her happier than she had thought it would.

"Thank you, Gin," he said, getting out of his chair and pulling her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her and she easily returned the hug, memories of their days together rushing back at her.

Now, to them, this hug looked exactly like a hug. However, to someone who, say, was watching from the sidelines, and had just happened upon them, it did look suspiciously like a kiss. Of course, neither of them were aware that anyone else may or may not have been watching them, so the hug lasted almost a minute. By that time, they were alone again.

The two sat down again and began chatting.

"You look really good," he said, after a few minutes, placing his hand on hers.

"Thanks," she said, curling her hair behind her ear.

There was a pause, although it was not completely awkward. "He makes you happy, doesn't he?" Harry asked.

"He does," Ginny confessed, smiling. "Are you…are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "I think I am."

Ginny left him about ten minutes later. She knew that this talk had made him happier, and she was glad.

Now that her Harry issues were pretty much resolved, it was time to tell Draco how she really felt about him. She figured she should go back to the common room and change into her uniform, but she really wanted to talk to him. She was exhilarated from talking to Harry, and spending time changing might force her off this amazing high. Instead, she quickly walked over to the Head's common room.

Hermione answered the door, looking pissed. She pulled Ginny into the room before she had a chance to ask the older girl what had gotten her knickers into such a twist.

"What the hell did you do?" Hermione asked after shutting the door, her voice raising an octave.

"What are you talking about?"

"Draco just left, looking like Bambi after his mother gets killed. He saw you."

"Saw me what?!"

"Kissing Harry!"

Ginny's eyes widened. "What?! I didn't kiss Harry! I was just talking to him!"

"That's not what Draco saw," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

Ginny thought for a moment, racking her brain to find a situation that Draco might have thought as her kissing Harry. She gasped. "I hugged him! Draco must have seen that, and assumed that we were kissing! Oh my god, I need to find him and explain everything."

Ginny hurried over to the door. Hermione called out to her, "He said he was going to the Slytherin dungeons." Ginny yelled thanks over her shoulder and continued down the corridor.

****

After catching Ginny "kissing" Harry, and pouring his heart out to Hermione, Draco quickly went to the Slytherin dungeons. If he stayed in the Head's common room, Ginny would eventually go there, and he really didn't want to talk to her. As long as Hermione kept her mouth shut, there was no way Ginny would know where he was.

Since breakfast was starting in ten minutes, the common room was filled with Slytherins preparing to head to the Great Hall. A few students moved out of his way but generally no one paid attention to him.

Draco noticed Blaise sitting on one of the couches, flipping through a magazine. Draco slunk over to him and collapsed onto the couch.

"Problems?" Blaise asked, not looking up.

"The love of my life just broke my heart and now I feel like punching something."

"Ah. Those kinds of problems."

Draco turned to Blaise. "I don't get how she could do that to me. I mean, we both saw how upset she was after Potter cheated on her; I can't believe she was comfortable hurting me that much. It makes me wonder if she ever really did care about me."

"Dude, you need to get laid."

Draco cracked a smile. "No wonder the girls flock around you. You're such a romantic."

"Personally, I think getting laid is the best way to solve any problem."

"Then you must have a lot of problems."

"More than I can count."

Draco's smile slowly faded. "Can I tell you something? Something serious?"

"Sure," Blaise said, knowing when his friend needed him.

"At first, we were only pretending to date, to get back at Potter. But then, we started feeling things. At least, I did. I really like her. Obviously she doesn't feel the same way."

"Do you want some serious advice? Go talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Tell her that she hurt you. If she really cares about you, then there will be an explanation. If she doesn't really care about you, then you managed to get out with minimal damage. But sitting around, brooding about it all, isn't going to solve any of your problems."

"I know," he said, sighing. "I just wonder if it was a mistake to even date her. Maybe we just aren't meant for each other."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: They're not mine. **

**Chapter Ten**

Ginny rushed down to the Slytherin dungeons. Once there, however, she realized she did not know the password. Thankfully, breakfast had started about five minutes before she got there, and there were still a few stragglers hanging around outside the entrance. She threatened a first year into giving her the password and, hoping that she wouldn't be electrocuted by entering the common room of Gryffindor's enemy, stepped across the threshold.

Draco and Blaise were sitting in a way that prevented them from having a view of the door. However, Ginny heard them the second she stepped into the common room. Unfortunately, she heard the bad part.

"I just wonder if it was a mistake to even date her." That was, unmistakably, Draco's voice. "Maybe we just aren't meant for each other."

Ginny was unable to hear Blaise's response because she was already halfway down the corridor by the time he replied, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. She ignored the other people around her, only concentrating on getting as far away from Draco as possible.

Without even realizing it, Ginny was standing in front of the Head's dorm. Jezebel, seeing the girl's tearstained face, swung open without any prompting. Ginny knew going to the Head's dorm was potentially dangerous, because Draco would head back this way at some point. Nevertheless, she stepped into the common room. There was only one person who could truly help her.

Hermione had been preparing to leave for breakfast but when she saw Ginny, she dropped her bag and held her arms open. Ginny collapsed against the older girl, grabbing her shirt for support, letting the tears fall. Hermione led them back to her room and the two girls crawled onto her bed. Hermione held onto Ginny, letting her cry, waiting for the chance to try to get her to talk.

Ten minutes later, Ginny had calmed down enough to tell Hermione what she had heard. However, this brought on a new onslaught of tears and forced Hermione to wait again for Ginny to stop crying. After an eternity (but it actuality was only fifteen minutes), the tears stopped. Ginny didn't let go of Hermione and Hermione didn't push away.

"I'm so sorry, Gin," Hermione said, smoothing her hair out of her face. "Guys are jerks."

"I know," Ginny said, sniffling. "I just wish I had learned my lesson with Harry. Maybe I should just give up guys completely." She smirked slyly at Hermione. "You, uh, ever consider…you know…switching teams?"

Hermione smiled. "Nice to see you still have your sense of humor."

Ginny's face broke into a grin. "It was worth a try."

The silence that followed was disrupted by the sound of the portrait door opening. Hermione shot up while Ginny scooted further back on the bed.

"I can't talk to him," Ginny said, her eyes fearful. "Don't tell him I'm back here."

Hermione gave Ginny a kiss on the forehead and stood up. "Don't worry, sweetie, I won't."

The older girl left the bedroom while Ginny crawled under the covers, as if to hide herself better from Draco.

Draco glanced up when he heard Hermione. "Hey," he said, his voice quiet.

"Hey," Hermione replied, shutting her door softly. "What, um, is up?"

"Besides the fact that I just caught the love of my life kissing her ex, not much."

She sighed. "I need to tell you something. Sit down." She joined him on the couch and took a deep breath. "Ginny didn't cheat on you. She was just talking to Harry. She couldn't stand being mad at him anymore, and wanted to fix their relationship. She was just hugging him. She really does love you."

"I can't believe that," Draco said, but his voice wasn't quite as strong as he would have liked.

"Really? I just spent the last half hour consoling a girl who couldn't stop crying over the fact that she heard the love of her life say he didn't think they were meant for each other. Do you really think she would be this upset about something you said if she was so willing to throw away your whole relationship for some guy who cheated on her? If you really think that, maybe you guys aren't meant for each other."

Angry at Draco for being a prick, and angry at herself for getting so worked up, Hermione stormed out of the common room.

Draco, however, was too preoccupied to notice. He stood up slowly and cautiously crept over to Hermione's door. He couldn't hear anything through the wood. He quietly opened the door, careful to make sure it didn't squeak.

He didn't see Ginny but the lump on the bed had him thinking she was hiding from him. He walked over to the bed, keeping his steps light. He climbed onto the bed and scooted over to Ginny.

"Hermione," she said, her voice muffled, "I really don't wanna talk. Just make sure he leaves."

Ignoring her words, he slid underneath the blanket, pulled her flush against him, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Hermione?!" Ginny said in shock. She looked over her shoulder and, when she saw that it was Draco, her expression softened, although not by much.

"What do you want?" she asked, turning back around and trying to pull away.

Draco tightened his grip. "Hermione's bed looked so inviting, and you looked so comfy, I decided to join you."

The two lay in silence. Somehow, and neither were totally sure how it happened, Draco's hand crept up until her breast rested in his hand. Ginny didn't pull away.

"I can't believe you would think I would cheat on you," Ginny said finally.

"How was I suppose to know you were just hugging? It looked like a kiss," he said, while trying to ignore the growing hardness between his legs. Ginny fit against him perfectly and it was definitely turning him on.

"I could never do that to you. I love you."

Her words shocked him. Yes, Hermione had pretty much told him how Ginny felt, but it was still a surprise hearing it come out of her mouth.

"I, I love you too," Draco said.

"Then why did you say we weren't meant for each other?"

"I thought if you could cheat on me, then you must not really love me."

"Ha. That's funny, coming from the Slytherin Sex God."

His grip tightened even more, almost defensively. "I may have been with a lot of girls before you, but I have never cheated on any of them. And I don't intend to cheat on you. I've seen what that can do to people, and I don't want that to happen to us."

"So," Ginny said slyly, after a pause, "you really love me?"

"Yeah. I really love you."

"Who knew I could tame Draco Malfoy into love?"

"Trust me, I did not expect this to happen."

Ginny spun around so she was facing him. "But you're happy about it?" she asked, almost pleading.

Draco captured her lips in a kiss. "Yeah," he said, after pulling away, "I'm happy about it."

**THE END**


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